The upcoming Fortnite World Cup is poised to land record sponsorship rates with multiple executives stating that Epic Games and agency Endeavor have discussed prices as high as $25 million, depending on level of involvement, to partner with the event and a lineup of brands that have come to the table for discussions, according to multiple executives. If met, the rate would sponsoring Floyd Mayweather’s shorts, robe and caps for a fight or MGM’s recent three-year deal with the NBA. For comparisons sake, the cost to buy an ad for Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals ran as high as $829,577 this year, while a spot at the Super Bowl in February ran about $5 million, while IndyCar reportedly sought $30 million for a new series sponsor. Qualifiers for the Fortnite World Cup will now begin in 2019 with the tournament itself set to run in late 2019. Neither Epic Games nor Endeavor responded to requests for comment.

COMPETITION and VENUES

Capcom released their 2018 Integrated Report, calling for a bigger push into esports and announcing the opening of an internal division dedicated to launching new endeavors for the brands in the space. “Next year, in order create business opportunities in the esports market, and to invigorate the domestic market in particular, we will establish a specialized esports division and leverage fighting games, such as Street Fighter, which has a high affinity for esports,” the company stated. Plans include a boost in prize pools money as well as more sponsorship of events. “In the fiscal year ending March 2019… we aim to strengthen investment and expand the scope of our activities, including hosting our first major competition in Japan to promote an environment conductive to the spread of esports domestically. Specifically, we will bolster activities targeting top players, such as increasing the number of competitions and size of prize money, and issuing professional licenses to top-ranked athletes and other professionals. We will also hold qualifying competitions for amateurs and provide an environment that includes spaces for playing esports,” the report stated.

With the group stage of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship completed, Riot unveiled dates and brackets for the knockout bracket draw. Play begins tomorrow with KT Rolster/Invictus Gaming followed by RNG/G2 Esports. Oct. 20 will then feature Cloud9/Afreeca Freecs and Fnatic/EDG.

ELEAGUE’s next presentation will come courtesy of a partnership with Riot Games, and feature League of Legends in a one-hour TBS special that will run on Oct. 19 at 11p on TBS. ELEAGUE’s Esports 101: League of Legends will provide a “lighthearted, accessible introduction to League of Legends– the fast-paced, team-based strategy battle game with millions of players worldwide and one of the most watched esports with 14 professional leagues” and be co-hosted by League of Legendsexperts Bil “Jump” Carter and Kelsie “KayPea” Pelling.

Riot Games announced the eight teams who will comprise the upcoming Latin American League, launching in 2019 based in Santiago, Chile. Squads will include the All Knights, Furious Gaming, Infinity Esports, Isurus Gaming, Kaos Latin Gamers, Pixel Esports Club, Predators Esports and Rainbow7.

Gfinity released details for the fourth season of the Gfinity Elite Series Delivered by Domino’s, with play beginning Oct. 26. Top pro esports teams will compete across FIFA 19, Street Fighter 5 and Rocket League over a span of seven weeks at the Gfinity Esports Arena in London. Bryan Healy, Chief Strategy Officer, Gfinity said: “Last season was the most competitive Elite Series to date with three new teams taking the spoils across Street Fighter, Rocket League and FIFA18. This year we welcome one new team, ASUS ROG ARMY from Spain, several roster changes and new talent who will be raring to go. Expect Season 4 to be the most exciting season yet. We can’t wait to get started.”

Fortnite opened the doors to boosting its grassroots talent, with the introduction of in-game tournaments to the Epic Games hit. The initiative enables players to join open, multihour competitions with the first set of tournaments designed for single players, while duo tournaments run Oct. 23-25 and squads can participate from Oct. 19-Nov. 30. Beginning later this year, all eligible players will have the opportunity to qualify for the 2019 Fortnite World Cup directly through a ‘Showdown Royale’ event hosted using the in-game tournament system.

Tournament organizer Power League Gaming is launching a CS:GO Grand Slam taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from Dec. 12-16th. Sixteen teams will square off for a $100,000 prize purse, with qualifiers spanning Oct. 26-Nov. 17 around the world.

Amateur esports company Super League Gaming unveiled a “first-of-its-kind” collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment designed to engage young video gamers through custom experiences connected to the animated feature film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which hits theaters nationwide on Dec.14. The promotion will span from Oct. 27-dec. 9 and feature the Super League Minecraft player community given the opportunity to participate in three distinct competitions. In both Super League’s Minecraft City Champs tournament and Super League’s November Minecraft Monthly program, players will battle in a new Super League mini-game, “Spider-Verse: Domination.” In a national online competition, players will build their own Spider-Verse inspired creations.

The Georgia Esports League locked in its lineup for its Fall 2018 championship taking place on Oct. 20 at Georgia State University’s Sports Arena. Teams from Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, Oglethorpe University, University of Georgia, and the University of West Georgia will all battle in Brawlhalla and SMITE. Georgia game developers Blue Mammoth Games and Hi-Rez Studios sponsor workshops on important esports skills like shoutcasting in addition to how to become a professional esports competitor.

Streaming platform Mixerannounced the launch of Mixer Matchups x Microsoft Store North American Championship featuring Fortnite. The nationwide tournament will begin on Oct. 19, with players competing every Friday for a prize of $10,000 and a chance to win $15,000 in the championship. Play begins with a local stage, divided into four regions with 20 stores per region with the winner from each store is competing against the other 19 winners on the region. Regional champions and qualifying teams will then play until a champion is crowned on Nov. 10.

Beyond the Summit locked in teams and dates for CS Summit 3, a $150,000 CS:GO tournament running Nov. 1-4.Teams are set to include G2 Esports, BIG, NRG, GhostGaming, Heroic, compLexity Gaming, OpTic Gaming and Team Kinguin

The Splatoon 2 UK Championship grand finals are set to run from Nov. 23-25 at MCM Comic Con Birmingham. The top eight teams that qualified for the event through regional tournaments will face off for the title. The winning team will then move on to represent the country at the Splatoon 2European Championships and, potentially, the World Championships.

Esports Arena Las Vegas announced plans to celebrate Las Vegas PRIDE with a special version of its popular weekly Mario Kart tournament on Saturday. Saturday Night Speedway: Drag Race Edition, will feature Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and hosted by YouTube personalities the Gaymer Guys, serving up tournament play and a prize pool, participants in drag and costumes, contests, and drink specials.

Cynopsis is opening the call for entries for the fifth annual Cynopsis Social Good Awards, and we encourage you to show us your work as we learn from each other and look to forge new alliances. Enter before December 13th to save. Finalists will be announced in late February and winners will be announced at the fifth annual awards event taking place this August in NYC.

Global esports organization Immortals blazed a new trail with the signing of Nitto Tire as an official sponsor and the exclusive tire supplier for the company and its brands, which include the Los Angeles Valiant and MIBR. Nitto Tire becomes the first tire company to enter the esports market through team sponsorship, according to the announcement. The partnership will formally launch at the LA Valiant’s Community Block Party on Oct. 20 with the live activation, “Junkertown IRL Presented by Nitto Tire.” Inspired by the Junkertown map in Overwatch, the interactive installation, featuring Nitto Tire product integration and LA Valiant and Nitto Tire branding, will “create an atmosphere similar to the dystopian Australian outback landscape depicted in the game.” Additionally, Nitto Tire, MIBR, and the LA Valiant will launch a digital content series, “Fueled by Enthusiasts,” that explores the passions of MIBR and LA Valiant players outside the games they play professionally.

Deloitte inked a deal to serve as sponsor of the ESL Dutch Championship, running Nov. 24-25 at the Bright Day tech festival in Vijfhuizen. The deal marks the company’s first esports sponsorship deal.

Spanish esports organizations Mad Lions E.C. reeled in a partnership with Nescafé. Players from the org’s League of Legends squad will promote the brand’s line of instant coffee via digital content and fan experiences, starting with Madrid Games Week.

Swiss telecommunications company Swisscom is teaming with ESL to launch an esports league for the region. The new entity will showcase weekly play in League of Legends, Clash Royale, and Hearthstonewith a championship slated for Spring 2019. In addition to the league, Swisscom is beefing up its esports and gaming platforms, adding EsportsTV and Ginx TV to its lineup.

TEAMS

Cloud9 landed $50 million in funding, announcing a new investment round led by Valor Equity Partners. Other participants include TrueBridge Capital Partners, Reimagined Ventures, as well as Glassdoor founder Robert Hohman. Meanwhile, the new deal landed Cloud9 on Forbes’ list of the next billion-dollar startups for 2018, projected to earn $22 million in revenue this year, according to founder Jack Etienne.The Forbes article also states that Cloud9 launched plans for a 20,000-to-30,000 square foot training facility and home base for its operations in LA, writing that its “disparate teams will all practice at the facility, while also consolidating its staff of managers, a sports psychologist, a physical therapist and chef. While it’ll no doubt be finished by the end of 2019, Etienne is hoping to be up and running by the start of next year’s competitions.”

Brand new Canadian Overwatch League franchise, Vancouver, is partnering with Luminosity Gaming as the team prepares for its first season in the Blizzard organization. The partnership was announced on Twitter, with a post stating that “To ensure we hit the ground running, we have teamed upwith leading Canadian esports organization Luminosity Gaming and its CEO Steve Maida. They will be working closely with us to help craft and implement our strategy surrounding player acquisition, key staffing, day-to-day operations, marketing and more.”

Speaking of Overwatch League, MLG co-founder Mike Sepso is joining Overwatch League franchise New York Excelsior as a Strategic Partner for NYXL ownership group Sterling.VC. Sepso will be charged with running the commercial of growth of the franchise through sponsorship and media rights deals.

Continuing the theme, the new Guangzhou Overwatch League expansion franchise tapped Sonny Xiao to serve as CEO of the team with Eddy Meng on-board as COO. Xiao currently serves as president of basketball operations for the Guangzhou Long Lions, which is also owned by the Nenking Group. Meng was most recently managing director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia region for Activision Blizzard. Ethan Liu will serve as general manager.

The Houston Rockets locked in a partnership with Bilibili, the leading online entertainment platform for younger audiences in China. The deal will look to expand their presence in esports, with Bilibili’s esports team, Bilibili Gaming and the Rockets’ esports squad Clutch Gaming taking part in a friendly game andBilibili becoming the official partner of CG. In addition, the CG team will broadcast their games in real time on the Bilibili platform and interact with their fans.

Manchester City has announced a partnership with esports organization Epsilon to compete in the Gfinity Elite Series, Season 4. The deal sees Manchester City eSports join Epsilon’s slot in the Elite Series to compete in the FIFA 19 category. Manchester City’s and Epsilon’s professional esports players will make up half of the team with the remaining players chosen through the Elite Draft. Season 4 kicks off on the weekend of Oct. 26, with 10 teams competing in the eight-week tournament for a spot in the grand final, to be played in December.

A report by VPEsports writes that former Infinite Esports & Entertainment director Ali “Alicus” Saba has been accused of misconduct and unethical negotiating practices for the organization’s Overwatch Contenders teams. According to a series of chat logs, e-mails, and discord calls provided to the site, Saba engaged with a team of players and coaches before the start of Overwatch Contenders North America 2018 Season One with the intention of signing them to OpTic’s Overwatch Contenders slot. The deal, as it was framed to the team, would have made the players and staff the official academy team of Overwatch League side Houston Outlaws. However, according to the report, Saba and the organization “not only attempted to lure players into signing a string of bad contracts that failed to include key details previously agreed upon by the parties, but that repeated mistreatment of the players and coaches by Saba was not acted upon by upper management despite the players providing records of their interactions with him.”

FanAI SNAPSHOT

This past weekend marked the end of regional play for Season 6 of the Rocket League Championship Series. The RLCS, like League of Legends and other titles, separates their professional competitions into regional leagues. In light of this, FanAI investigated to see if this regional separation had an effect on viewership patterns. While a deeper investigation would be needed to draw conclusions about other leagues, in the case of the RLCS their format seemingly fostered a strong overlap between their European and North American fan bases; 41% of the total audience watches matches from both regions. Perhaps one reason for this overlap is that the RLCS broadcasts both EU and NA matches in a similar time slot on Saturdays and Sundays, making for a consistent viewing experience for the Rocket League audience. For brands thinking of sponsoring esports, looking at leagues with such high crossover in regional viewership such as the RLCS could provide an opportunity to advertise to both a domestic and international fanbase, while reaching a dedicated core audience that tunes in regardless of region.

PLATFORMS

ELEAGUE is launching a twice-weekly podcast, ELEAGUE Report, today that will feature the fan’s perspective on the latest news from across the world of esports. New episodes will be released on Mondays and Thursdays, with archived episodes available at ELEAGUE.com/podcast for fans to enjoy whenever they choose. Additionally, episodes are available via iTunes and Stitcher. The series is co-hosted by podcasters and life-long esports fans Brian Hough and Seven – co-hosts of the former NerfThis Podcast. On each episode, Brian and Seven will offer their unfiltered takes on the latest headlines from the most popular esports events, teams and players.

Discord opened the door for the beta test of its Discord Store to a global audience after testing the platform in Canada. The public beta includes 23 games for sale in the store, with five exclusively launching on the service. In addition, Discord has opened an update to its Nitro subscription service.

Chinese esports company Fighting Esports Group raised nearly $15 million in a series A funding round, according to TEO. The round was led by China Sports Capital. SAIF Partners and Sea of Stars Capital also participated in the round. The report stated that FEG will partner with Tencent to expand the holding company’s top Honor of Kingscompetition KPL into South Korea.

ROSTER MOVES

ESL appointed Thomas Schmidt to its Board of Directors. As a Non-Executive Board Member of Turtle Entertainment GmbH, Schmidt will provide expert advice on creating and delivering best-in-class coverage and sponsorship solutions for ESL’s esports leagues and tournaments. Thomas has a 16-year track record in distribution and marketing for the UEFA Champions League.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

“With so many profound issues affecting women taking the spotlight in the past year, Cynopsis is launching our newest awards, which will bring together the community from around the world of sports, and honor the drive and innovation that is evolving change in the sports industry.”

–Chris Pursell, Cynopsis Director of Sports & Esports Content

Nominate a female executive from your team into the Cynopsis Top Women in Sports Awards. The process shouldn’t more than 25mins and don’t forget to nominate by the December 4th deadline.

ON THIS DAY in 1985: Nintendo releases the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the US.

Trivia: Tech titan Steve Wozniak is credited with building this classic Atari game (pictured above). What is the name of that game? (Email chris-sports@cynopsis.comwith your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: Actor John DiMaggio, who has voiced a slew of game characters include Marcus Fenix from the Gears of War franchise, recently wrapped up his role as Jake the Dog in which animated series? Answer: Adventure Time. Kudos: Chris Davies-Virgin/London; Danny Araque/NY; Jen Yi-FYE/NY; Bobby Baird-Stream Hatchet/Stamford; Allison Weiner-MMSI/Warwick; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank

The DevOps team is looking for a talented Senior Dev Ops Engineer to join our team. We’re looking for candidates with experience in both network and Unix/Linux administration, strong leadership with high energy, dedication, and passion for technology.

Responsible for development process on assigned systems and tasks, including creation of or contribution to technical design documents, accurately assessing time requirements and confidence level, and successfully completing milestones.

As a Senior UX Designer at Roblox, you’ll play a critical role in designing features that work seamlessly across different platforms and around the world at a time of incredible growth for our business.

The product team develops the game around the game. With Vainglory, SEMC has created a AAA product with the quality of the best PC and console Esports games, and put it on mobile devices – but not going to stop there.

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